REBEL former Labour councillor Kevin Bennett claims his election rival Nick Bent is at war with Labour colleagues on the borough council over their party’s education policy.
Mr Bennett (pictured below right), The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) Candidate for Warrington South, who resigned from the Labour party after being suspended, has been handed copies of an email exchange between Mr Bent and former education portfolio holder Councillor Colin Froggatt, who are at odds over the Council’s proposed University Technical College.
In a recent email Mr Bent (pictured below centre) tells the Labour Group on Warrington Borough Council that he has written a blog with “some thoughts on Education”.
His blog can be read online at http://www.warringtonsouth.org/before_the_hustings_some_thoughts_on_education
In reply, Councillor Froggatt (pictured above right) accuses him of not supporting his own Party’s policy and of backing a project which would be “a waste of public money specifically in these times of austerity”.
Mr Bennet said “We already know that the views held by the Labour Parliamentary candidate are at odds with most people in Warrington South. Now, we see that they are at odds with his own colleagues when it comes to Labour’s education policy, with Nick Bent being accused of failing to support his own party’s position.
“It is another sad day for the Labour Party in Warrington South, when we see their ‘spin doctor’ candidate at war with one of the longest-serving and most well-respected councillors in the Town.
“I hope Nick Bent will stop supporting the failed UTC project. We have over 1,000 surplus places in Warrington. Councillor Froggatt is right to point out that Nick Bent’s position is threatening the closure or the undermining of our local schools. As a Parliamentary Candidate, he should be trying to ‘give us a boost’, not putting our schools at risk like this.”
Cllr Froggatt and Mr Bent declined to comment.
